User Ratings & Reviews

My first beer at the new Hollister Brew Co in Goleta, CA was pretty darn good! Of course, the brewmaster isn't a virgin. He used to brew for Santa Barbara Brew Co in SB about 10-15 miles down the road.

Even though Hollister has only been open a short while, The J seems to already be a favorite amongst patrons and bartenders alike. It's got a nice deep red body with a healthy head and carbonation. Hoppy pine scent is noticeable. Good strong, slightly spicey flavor. The J is made with dried hemp which works in subtly to give this all around solid amber a little extra flavor. The hops are mildly bitter, just right really. It might be a little high for a session beer technically speaking, but it's a tasty, smooth drink that doesn't wear on the tastebuds. Delicious!

Draught at the brewpub. Dark amber with a beige head. Smokey brown sugar aroma reminds me of barbecue. Lots of smoked malt in the flavor with caramel, and some subdued hops. Thick and chewy body with small bubbles. A pretty cool beer, even If the hemp seeds weren't really obvious. Liked the smokiness, though it wasn't as intense as, say a schlenkerla. I'd pair it with one of their meatier entrees next time. Rerate: the smoke was more forward and nearly dominated the flavor this time. Loved it.

The J is an orange, reddish color with good head retention and fair lace. The aromas of smoke and hemp arise from the beer. It's unusual at first whiff, but the two aromas work with each other. Its taste starts with a snap of hemp, followed up by citrus and smoked malt component. Well balanced too, desipte the way the described flavors sound. It owns a medium body which is complimented by smooth carbonation. As a bonus, this beer is easy to drink.

This is an honest smoked brew with a twist. As you could imagine, the idea of a smoked beer to drink alongside a BBQ pulled pork sandwich was too good to pass up.

The beer is amber in color with an off-white/khaki head. The smoke comes through as the initial aroma. It's got the usual semi-salty and woody aroma to it as well as a fair amount of toast and some toffee. While smokey, the flavor is not overwhelmingly so. Toasted malt and bread flavor with a hint of toffee. There might even be just a little bit of fruitiness to it, too.

Pours a clear orange with a foamy bone head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grape-like fruit, and slight smoke aromas. Taste is much the same with subdued smoke flavors on the finish. There is a very mild amount of smoke bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a low level of carbonation with an almost flat and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with a decent smoke presence but the mouthfeel is off in my opinion.

Huge thanks to my lovely girlfriend for making a pit stop to Hollister and grabbing some brews. We randomly stopped their on a road trip a few years back and whoever is down their always has to either stop in for a drink or grab some growlers.

I got the growler yesterday and this is my second pint. The growler opened with a loud 'pop' leading me to believe that their was still a good amount of carbonation left. Pouring the beer yielded a thick, creamy vanilla head that lingered around for a bit. A medium-dark amber hue that looks rather clear shows few bubbles. Mild woody smoke aromas, with a hint of honey are present which presents a literal smooth transition from nose to mouth. With each sip I can experience this beer travel through my senses. The first pint was a little smokier. Pint number two is a bit more resinous. The hops provide a sharpness but without being too present. When I read the description of the beer, I thought I was getting a hoppy smoke beer. This beer is definitely suffering from not being as fresh as it could be, more carbonation would make this beer sing! There still remains some complexity between the smoked malts, hemp and hops, which isn't entirely lost. The smoke malt begins to mask some of the hoppier elements once this beer has breathed a little. With the stretch of my imagination I am enjoying it as much as I can with no problem at all. I'm definitely giving this beer the benefit of the doubt. Can't wait to have it on tap!